The Origin of Heroes
by Complexity and Passion
Summary: Xemnas is dead, but the Darkness isn’t gone. It never will be, for Light cannot exist without it, and vice versa. There will always be a need for champions of Light – but what happens when the heroes fall? Post KH II, AU.
1. Return

**The Origin of Heroes**

**By: C&P**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the KH/FF/Disney/etc. characters/stuff. I only own the OC's, except for Selene, who was made by my friend. This disclaimer applies to the entire fic.

Summary: Xemnas is dead, but the Darkness isn't gone. It never will be, for Light cannot exist without it, and vice versa. There will always be a need for champions of Light – but what happens when the heroes fall?

Author's Note: This is a slightly AU KH III story, taking place post-KH II. There will be many flashbacks to previous events. SPOILERS for anyone who hasn't finished all the games. Well, I haven't finished all of CoM but I know what happens. And yeah, I know KH III is really supposed to be pre-KH one, but WHO CARES.

Please R&R!! Constructive criticism is WELCOME. Flames are not.

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Chapter I: Return

The streets were quiet and empty; no one had come this way in nearly a year. The sun never showed its yellow face in this world because there was no sun. Nothing grew here; everything was concrete and steel. The buildings were dark save a few, which were lit up by the electrical signs attached to them. The only natural light came from the stars, unhindered in their display by clouds. A single castle floated above a great crater that was situated in the very center of the deserted city, its white walls gleaming in the fake light of the city. The castle was deserted as well, its halls and rooms empty and silent.

The great battle that had taken place in and above the city had destroyed much of what had been here, but some unknown magic had restored the entire world to the way it was before the battle. It was as if no one had ever stepped foot on this quiet world.

But they had, and they would soon again.

Atop the highest tower of the castle stood a perfectly symmetrical platform, an altar of sorts. A long staircase wound its way around the tower and into the castle. It was on this platform that he appeared.

The man was cloaked and hooded, unaware that many had come before dressed similarly. How the man had come to this place, he was not sure. All he could remember was Darkness and Nothingness. How long he had spent in that dark place, he did not know. He looked around at his surroundings, trying to find something familiar. He did not, and so he looked into his own mind. Flashes of events past were jumbled all over his mind; he could discern nothing from them. The time he had spent locked away must've muddled his memories, making them weak and blurry. The man shook his head, as if to make sense of everything.

The man raised his face to look up at the stars. He smiled – a familiar sight. Something he had known in the past, something that would always be there – other worlds. A feeling raced through his heart and mind, a feeling he had not felt in ages. He wanted to rule those worlds, to become the leader of them. And he knew how, but, after all that time in the Darkness, could he still possess the power he needed? There was only one way to find out.

The man lowered his face and closed his eyes, searching within himself for that little nudge of power that he'd had since he had been Chosen – the power linking him to the Darkness. Gently he called on it, letting the energy course through his body. He felt young again, though he doubted that he looked like he was supposed to. When he had marshaled enough power, the man let it loose, summoning his one true servant. And it came – when the man opened his eyes, his servant was before him, though in a different form this time. More humanoid than the last, if he could remember rightly. The man smiled.

"Come," he said to his servant of the Darkness. "We have much to do." And together they descended the stairs of the castle.

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Yeah, I know it's really short, but I figured this chapter was more of a prologue than anything. The next chapter will hopefully be longer and much better, seeing as I couldn't do much with this one without giving you too much information.


	2. Appearance

**The Origin of Heroes**

**By: C&P**

I don't exactly like how this one turned out, but I had to get them going somehow, didn't I? Anyways, this is about six pages long, more like 5 ¾.

Please R&R!! Constructive criticism is WELCOME. Flames are not.

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Chapter II: Appearance

Sora smiled as he plopped down on the sandy beach, enjoying the feel of the wind, sun, and soft sand all at once. Summer vacation had finally come, and now he and his two best friends, Riku and Kairi, could spend the entire day on the small islands just off the mainland. It was a tranquil place, the Destiny Islands – no Darkness had touched its soft soil in over a year. After Xemnas's defeat by Sora and Riku, peace had reigned over all worlds. There were still Heartless and Nobodies in the Universe, but they had gone into hiding after their leader had disappeared. Even Maleficent had not shown her evil face anywhere.

Sora was now sixteen, and looked it – his hair was spikier and messier, almost all vestiges of his boyish looks gone. His muscles had grown thanks to the training he had kept up just in case the Darkness returned. He had grown in height as well, though he was still shorter than Riku.

"Sure is a nice day," Sora commented, stretching under the warm sun. Riku smiled in answer, nodding. At the age of seventeen Riku was almost full-grown, his muscles hardened from training and his hair only a little longer. He was silent and solitary most of the time, save for the afternoons he spent wandering around the islands and the fields on the mainland with Sora and Kairi.

A seagull gave a shrill cry as it dove towards the water about fifty feet offshore, racing towards the sky seconds later with a fish caught in its mouth. Riku watched the bird as it soared around the edge of its island, probably towards its nest somewhere.

"Wonder where Kairi's gotten to," Sora mumbled, looking around the island quickly. "She's supposed to be here by now!" Disappointment filled the teen's tone, making Riku snicker.

"Calm down. She'll be here," Riku said, watching as Sora continued to look for their female friend. Almost as if in response to Riku's words, a small boat suddenly appeared on the horizon, a single slim figure rowing its way towards the two teenage boys. Sora jumped up immediately and ran over to the small dock nearby, waving his arms frantically at Kairi as she rowed closer and closer to the island. Riku got up much more slowly and went to join his friends, a small smile on his lips that did not reach his eyes.

_Later on…_

"The breeze sure does feel nice out here," Kairi commented as she and her friends sat at the edge of the water, letting their bare feet get washed in the rush of the water. The Princess of Heart looked quite different after a year of peace – her red hair now trailed down to her chest in layers, she had grown to Sora's height, and she was as skilled in the Keyblade as Sora and Riku were, though neither male would ever admit that she was a match for either of them.

Kairi looked over at Sora and Riku, who were both watching the waves come in. She was happy here with them, safe from the Darkness and its strange creatures. Things had been quiet and peaceful ever since they had returned to the Destiny Islands, but not all was right in Kairi's eyes. For one, they hadn't heard from King Mickey in months; slowly, his letters had come farther and farther apart, finally stopping altogether some time ago. Kairi could remember the contents of the King's first letter perfectly, having found it in a small bottle that had found its way to the shore.

_Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi,_

_I just wanted to thank you all again for the help you've been in saving the Realm of Light! Things are okay over here at Disney Castle, though I think that Daisy's out to kill Donald._

_As far as I can tell, the rest of the Universe is doin' all right. Leon sent word that they've almost restored Radiant Garden to its full glory. I hope things are goin' well on your islands._

_Anyways, I'm gonna keep a good eye out for any trouble. If you guys need anythin' you can always just send word to us here! I've been hearin' some strange rumors about one of the worlds that's been reborn after the Heartless and Nobodies disappeared. Let's hope that nothin' else is gonna go after Kingdom Hearts!_

_Talk to you guys later,_

_King Mickey_

Since then the King's letters had grown darker and more cryptic as time had passed. It didn't seem as though he needed their help yet, but the absence of news from Disney Castle made Kairi nervous. Sora and Riku had worried in the beginning; now Riku doubted that they entered the King's mind anymore, and Sora just shrugged whenever Kairi brought up the subject. Though nothing had happened on the Destiny Islands, Kairi had an uneasy feeling that something was going on out in the Universe. Unfortunately, she could not convince Sora and Riku that they, as Keyblade Masters, needed to go off and take a peek around the cosmos. For one, they didn't have any means of transportation – no Gummi Ship and Riku's control of the Darkness had left him back during the final battles in the World That Never Was. Sora also had doubts about Kairi's feelings – if the Heartless and Nobodies were causing trouble, they would know almost instantly. It helped when Sora and Kairi's Nobodies had the talent of sensing whenever the Darkness was nearby.

But these were not the only things that bothered Kairi. Riku's behavior worried her constantly – he was always on his own whenever Kairi or Sora weren't around. He didn't socialize much at school and since the accident that killed his father about six months ago Riku lived by himself. Kairi went out of her way to spend time with Riku everyday if she could manage it. She had shared her concerns with Sora, who in turn spent even more time with Riku than he had before their adventures. Often Sora would spend the entire weekend at Riku's house so the two boys could go fishing or some other activity.

"I wonder how everyone's doing," Sora mumbled suddenly, his eyes gazing off into space. Riku and Kairi both snapped out of their thoughts and looked at their friend.

"I'm sure they're fine," Riku answered, his voice quiet.

"But how do we know for sure without the King's letters?" Sora argued, looking at Riku with a stubborn expression. _Oh no_, Kairi thought. _Here we go again_. It was an argument that they had often.

Surprisingly, Riku did not answer Sora's question. He gave his younger friend a look that plainly said that he didn't want to talk about it at the moment. Kairi opened her mouth to change the subject, but a shrill scream from the mainland diverted their attention. Sora and Riku immediately jumped to their feet while Kairi froze; all three teens watched the mainland across the water.

"What do you think-" Sora began, but was interrupted by more screams. "COME ON!" he yelled, sprinting towards the docks. Riku and Kairi followed, each teen jumping down into their respective boats. They paddled as fast and hard as they dared, Kairi trailing a bit behind the boys. The screaming continued, growing louder and now accompanied by shouts as they neared the mainland. At one end of the town a thick column of smoke began to rise towards the sky. As the trio reached the shore they saw what was going on.

Neoshadows had appeared all over the town, attacking the innocent inhabitants. People ran in all directions, trying to escape the attack. An old feeling burst into Sora's heart, a feeling of hatred towards the Heartless. He reached into his soul and called forth the Keyblade, and it came in the form of the Kingdom Key. With practiced ease he switched key chains to Oblivion, which was extremely effective against Neoshadows. With a quick glance at Riku and Kairi, who had both summoned their Keyblades (Way To The Dawn and Everlasting Paradise), he ran into the fray, attacking the Neoshadows ferociously. Riku and Kairi fought nearby, trying to get the Heartless to pay attention to them and not the innocent townsfolk. The trio kept close together in case one needed help from another; Kairi's magic tore apart the enemies that were too far away for a Keyblade to hit; Riku was faster than lighting as he jabbed and parried the Neoshadows, taking down two or three at a time. Sora combined magic and skill as he fell back into the familiar rhythm of battle. The Keyblade Masters moved as a unit, working their way deeper and deeper into the town, trying to save as many as they could. Kairi healed those who had been injured as they passed by, praying that the Heartless wouldn't reappear the areas they'd already visited.

"There's got to be a leader somewhere!" Riku growled as he and Sora were pushed back to back, a ring of Neoshadows closing in tight around them. Kairi couldn't help them get loose; she was too busy protecting a few of the younger children. "We need to find him! It's the only way to make them disappear completely!" Riku yelled over the screams and yells that had gone up once more.

"Then let's get out of here and find him!" Sora yelled in answer. "Together!" Immediately both boys began to glow with white Light, though Riku's seemed darker than Sora's. Their Keyblades charged with power as they took battle stances. "NOW!" Sora and Riku yelled at the same time, breaking into their Eternal Session attack. Back to back they tore through the Neoshadows, hover just a bit over the ground as their enemies lunged at them.

"I'll take them!" Riku told Sora, dominating the attack and letting the magic flow. He unleashed the XIII Blades attack, channeling the magic into the form of swords that formed a circle around the two Keyblade Masters. As the magic drew to a close Sora pushed his own power into the attack, activating the All's End attack. As one the two teens threw their Keyblades into the air to where they hovered facing one another. The Heartless were drawn up into the attack as magic pulsed from the Keyblades and destroyed anything that got caught in its way. The magic grew and a flash of light blinded everyone within fifty feet. The light faded and left the two teens standing back to back once more. Each caught their Keyblade with ease, looking around for any more enemies.

"Sora! Riku!" Kairi cried, running over to her companions.

"We need to hurry and find the leader of these guys!" Sora said, feeling drained from the use of magic. They had finally cleared the town of most of the Heartless, but that didn't mean that there weren't more waiting down an alleyway. Sora looked at Riku, saying, "Can you sense him?"

Riku closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths, concentrating. "No," he answered, opening his eyes. "Whoever they are, they're not on this world."

"How do we stop them if we can't find the leader? The Heartless will tear apart our world if we don't!" Kairi cried, her face plastered in horror. Neither male answered her as they thought about what to do next. Sora's face suddenly brightened as an idea struck him.

"The Keyhole!" he cried in explanation to the confused looks he was getting. "If we seal the Keyhole then the Heartless won't have a reason to come here!"

"Except for all the innocent hearts wandering around," Riku said darkly.

"It's worth a shot," Sora argued. "What other choice do we have? Even with the King and the others we can't go on fighting forever!"

"I think Sora's right," Kairi muttered, afraid to start a fight now.

As soon as Kairi spoke Riku gave in. "Fine, you two go seal the Keyhole. I'll protect the townsfolk while your gone." With a quick nod from Sora and Kairi, Riku turned and ran down one street, heading towards the building that was still on fire.

"Come on," Sora said, grabbing Kairi's free hand in his own and leading her through the streets towards the beach. "The Keyhole's on the islands in the Secret Place," he explained as they ran, dodging the new Neoshadows that had come to join their comrades.

"I hope you remember how to seal it!" Kairi said as they kept running. Sora ignored her, focusing on running and dodging. Finally they reached the beach but skidded to a stop, nearly toppling over one another.

"Who the…?" Sora wondered out loud, more in curiosity than in shock. It was a man cloaked in black, his hood pulled down. His face was hidden; he looked just like Organization XIII had, but a different power radiated from this enigmatic figure. The man was nearly seven feet tall, towering over the two Keyblade Masters. Sora watched the man carefully, keeping Kairi just a few steps behind him. The Oblivion Keyblade glinted in the afternoon sun.

"What a weak world," the man's baritone voice commented dryly, his head turning right and left as he took in his surroundings. "When I heard the rumors I expected more of a challenge, but this is just…_disappointing_."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sora demanded with authority, pointing his weapon right where the man's heart should be. If he had one.

The man turned his attention back to Sora and Kairi. "Ah, young Keyblade wielders," he said with a strange nostalgia. "I suppose the rumors _are_ true then." Sora could feel the man's gaze focus on Oblivion and Everlasting Garden. "You must be in the early stages then, if I could not feel what little power you have. So insignificant."

"What are you rambling on about?" Sora demanded. He had a very bad feeling about this man…

"Keyblades are not meant for weaklings like you two, nor your friend, though he does show more promise than either of you," the man explained. Sora growled, his temper rising. He tried to suppress it, remembering that he had no idea who this was or how powerful he could possibly be.

"If you don't leave this world now I will make you," the Keyblade Master threatened, gripping Oblivion a bit tighter.

The man laughed, clearly amused by the venom in Sora's voice. "Let's see you try," he said.

A single second passed before Sora lunged forward and attacked the man. But Oblivion never hit its mark; the man had summoned a Keyblade of his own, using it as a shield. Sora stared in wonder at the giant weapon. It was most definitely a Keyblade of Darkness, one that not even Riku could lift if he tried. Complex designs of swirls and diamonds covered the entire weapon. It looked wicked and cruel; Sora instantly knew that no creature of Light would ever consent to using this weapon.

"Meet my Keyblade," the man said darkly, easily pushing Sora off.

"Sora!" Kairi called.

"Run Kairi!!" Sora yelled as the man lunged and attacked Sora, who barely managed to block the assault. It was all he could do to parry the man's offensive maneuvers; he was much too powerful for Sora alone.

"FIRAGA!!" a female voice cried, and suddenly hot flames circled Sora where the man had been milliseconds before.

"I told you to run!" Sora snapped as Kairi appeared at her side.

"We fight together, I already told you that," the redheaded female answered as the flames circling them faded away. Both took battle stances as they faced their foe.

"Time's up for you, and this world," the man said dramatically, the sky growing dark with purple and black clouds. The winds picked up, blowing dirt and sand everywhere. Sora's mind began to panic, but he shut down the emotion immediately. There _had_ to be a way to defeat this man. Otherwise the islands would be lost to the Darkness, and Sora would never let that happen again.

_Sora!_ a familiar voice cried out in Sora's mind. He blinked, confused.

_Roxas?_ he asked.

_Switch with me! Two Keyblades are more powerful than one._

_Alright, but just keep an eye on Kairi._

Sora focused back on his enemy. "You're going down."

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Yup, cliffhanger ending. Will update ASAP!


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